Harcourt Street

GOP's, gays, and the church

2005-11-21T15:33:00.000-05:00

A couple of stories have been posted recently about the GOP's targeting voters who are signing the new anti-gay marriage petition.
Mass GOP Aiding Drive for Ban on Gay Marriage
Boston Globe 11.18.05

And where the Massachusetts Republican Party thinks there are votes, Kerry isn't far behind.
Healey Backs Proposed Constitutional Ban on Gay Marriage
Boston Globe 11.19.05

And for good measure, let's throw in a story about the Archdiocese's revenge on a gay friendly priest. It does my heart good to see that the people of Our Lady will not be forgotten.
Cloaked in Red, Catholics Protest Ouster
Boston Herald 11.21.05

Afternoon Roundup

2005-11-21T15:21:00.000-05:00

Slow news day.

Boston Globe
Legislature Looks to Add 1B in Spending
Plans For the Money
2 in GOP Targeting Kennedy's Senate Seat
More Senior Homeowners To Get Tax Credit

Boston Herald
They got nothing today.

Mitt Watch

2005-11-18T10:41:00.000-05:00

According to the Boston Globe this morning, Romney has said he will be announcing his plans on December 21st. Well, technically December 21st is still fall- so I guess he told the truth last spring.

Morning Roundup

2005-11-18T10:22:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts. It's been a busy week.

Boston Globe.
Legislative Victories Elusive for Romney
Romney Shows Gain in Poll vs Reilly
Senate Boosts Raise for Clerks Magistrate to $22,000
Registrar Quits Post in Power Struggle
State Eyes Shifting of College Aid to Neediest

Boston Herald
Court Harass Claim Cost You $250G
Peeved RMV Chief Resigns in Protest Over restructuring

Springfield Republican
Mayor Indicted on Fraud Charges

Morning Roundup

2005-11-10T11:22:00.000-05:00

Boston Globe
State Senate Ok's Health Plan
Senate Ok's Rules for Church Disclosure
Romney Awards 5M in Training Grants
Chinatown Voter Awareness Helped Propel Yoon's Win
Latino Voters Key to Incumbents Victory
Patrick Backs Ameriquest Owner for Ambassadors Post

Boston Herald
Pol Insider Founded Troubled Security Firm
State Needs $hot in Arm to Fund Flu Plan

Morning Roundup

2005-11-09T10:41:00.000-05:00

Election coverage.

Boston Globe Local/Region Section
A Fourth Term for Menino
For Some Candidates a Chance at History
Hennigan Takes Campaign to the Wire
Bissonnette Best Embattled Mayor in Chicopee

Boston Herald. Local Politics

A bite of cake

2005-11-08T15:27:00.000-05:00

Kerry Healy strikes back.
An Unfair Reward for Illegal Immigrants Boston Globe Op-Ed
More on the cake.
Let them eat cake.

Always good for a laugh

2005-11-08T15:08:00.000-05:00

Whenever I need to laugh I usually just turn to Mass News or Article 8. Seems our rightwing nut, Brian Camenker, can even make Jon Stewart laugh. Thanks A. for the link.
The Homometer.

Romney for President

2005-11-08T11:46:00.000-05:00

Let the speculation continue.

Romney Cultivating Jewish Ties Boston Globe
Romney Meets with Former Israeli Prime Minister Boston Herald
Romney Tells Aide to End Role in Project Boston Globe
Romney Favors Pact by States on Emissions Boston Globe

VOTE

2005-11-08T10:12:00.000-05:00

It's election day. Don't forget to vote!
Where do I vote?

Municipals

2005-11-07T12:19:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is election day for a majority of towns across the state. Stay tuned- I will be posting info throughout the day.

Boston.
Item of note. Heard on Channel 5 this morning that Bill Clinton has endorsed Tom Menino for Mayor.
Campaigns Hit Overdrive Boston Globe
New Faces Enliven Races Boston Globe Column
Trail Comes to an End Boston Herald
City Council Endorsements Boston Globe Boston Herald
Mayor Endorsement Boston Globe Boston Herald

Cambridge.
Now, It's Up To The Voters Cambridge Chronicle
Hey Baby, What's Your Sign? Cambridge Chronicle
Cambridge Chronicle Endorsements

Western Mass.
Residents Set to Vote in WMass Springfield Republican
Springfield Republican Endorsements

Morning Roundup

2005-11-07T10:24:00.000-05:00

Here you go.

Health Care. I can't help but wonder if big business is planting stories and trying to make us all scared. Shake Up Envisioned in Health Insurance Boston Globe

Mass Dems. The Victory '06 campaign has started. I am curious if the state democrats are aware that over half the state's registered voters are independents/unenrolled? Kerry delivers Dem Pep Talk Boston Herald

Slots. Can anybody tell me where to get one of those "Seniors for Slots" t-shirts? I'd love to get one for my mother in law. Slot Machine Measure Could Lose to the House Boston Globe

The T

2005-11-04T11:36:00.000-05:00

Got to say in general I think Dan Grabauskas is a competent guy (and for full discloser- I do think he would have been a far better State Treasurer than Cahill) But come on....

"If you simply wish to vent or rant, use a blog. But if you have service delivery issues that may require corrective action, then you should contact the MBTA through our immensely popular Write to the Top program," he [Dan Grabauskas] said. Since that program was launched in 2002, more than 44,000 comments have flooded in by e-mail, phone and letters, T spokesman Joe Pesaturo said.

Yeah - T service has gotten so much better since 2002. That program must really be working.Blogs Rail Against T Troubles Boston Herald

Late Morning Roundup

2005-11-04T11:13:00.000-05:00

I was actually working at my paid job this morning.

Healthcare. DiMasi and the House passed it. One step forward to a healthier state. Romney attacking DiMasi rush to get the bill passed by saying that both his healthcare bill and the Senate's were submitted in the spring. Well that might be true but as even Trav says- the Senate hasn't done anything with it. It's just sitting in the Senate.
House Approves Healthcare Overhaul Boston Globe
Romney and Travaglini Sound Warning on Bill Boston Globe

Chicopee Mayor. Another republican endorsement. Not a good week for Kerry Healy.
Healy Had Lauded Busted Chicopee Pol Boston Herald
Not a good day for the republicans

Bring Mr. Brown Back Campaign!

2005-11-04T10:49:00.000-05:00

I've had a day to mourn CNN's horrible decision to replace Aaron Brown with Anderson Cooper. But it stuck me last night. ABC needs an anchor and now Mr. Brown is available. Who could be more perfect to replace his mentor Mr. Jennings. I haven't watched World News Tonight since Mr. Jennings left due to cancer. Not a perfect solution - I would miss having Mr. Brown for a whole hour. But it's better than nothing.

Contact World News here if you agree. Bring back the integrity.

*On a related note- while surfing around the ABC News website I found Jake Tappers' blog. I like it.

A sad day for journalism

2005-11-03T13:14:00.000-05:00

I am heartbroken to read that CNN has decided to let Aaron Brown go and replace 'Newsnight' with Anderson Cooper's '360.' Not that there is anything wrong with Cooper-I find him very entertaining, but no Aaron Brown.

But [Aaron Brown's] 10 p.m. program, frequently cited as a serious effort to summarize the news of the day, never seized a large audience; like other CNN programs, it fell far behind its competition at the Fox News Channel.

Are we really going to start judging our journalistic standards by Fox News.

It's been a hard fall for real journalism. First the sad passing of ABC's Peter Jennings, then the announcement that ABC's 'Nightline' would be going off the air this month, and now the loss of Mr. Brown.

Next we're going to hear that Fox News is going to become the US's official news station.

*On a related note. ABC's Good Morning America started to broadcast in high def this morning. I've been in love with Diane Sawyer for years- but I am not quite sure I want to see her quite that clearly. Also they previewed a new set today. Not a fan.

More on the cake

2005-11-03T12:07:00.000-05:00

The Herald has the Mass GOP's reaction to Reilly and the immigrant tuition bill. The GOP spokesman, Cosmo's 1983 Man of The Year. Maybe if the immigrants were that pretty they could get beauty pageant scholarships. GOP - Reilly Crosses Line with Immigrant Tuition Breaks

The Mass Dems have come out with their own press release on the story. Love how their home page calls immigrants "foreign students." Romney-Healy attack on foreign students

Let them eat cake

Morning Roundup

2005-11-03T10:54:00.000-05:00

The Globe was packed with political stories today.

The Big Story The Health Care Reform Bill is probably going to the floor today. Business associations are doing there best to delay (kill) the vote but I don't think it's going to happen. Not that I don't support local businesses but isn't really in all our interest economically to help people get health care. We're going to pay for it somewhere. Let's focus on the long run. DiMasi Vows Prompt Health Care Vote

Romney Come on Mr. Governor are you running in 06 or not? New Hire May Aide in a Romney Race

The Legislative Gay Caucus Sure we can have a Caucus of four. My question is - did they invite all the closeted legislator as well? Legislative Caucus on Gay Issues Eyed

Geno In trouble again. After your trip to Portugal, are you really going to help the Boston Archdiocese cover up their mess? O'Flaherty Plans to Move Church Finance Bill to House

Not a good day for the republicans

2005-11-02T15:48:00.000-05:00

It isn't just in Washington.

Chicopee mayor arrested for taking $10,000 in cash bribes. Love Romney's reaction.

"Not every Republican does everything the way they ought to," said Romney, who endorsed Goyette two years ago. "I don't know whether this one has or hasn't."

Let them eat cake

2005-11-02T14:55:00.000-05:00

"Let them go to private schools if they want to," [Lt. Governor Kerry] Healey said on WRKO radio. Moments later, she repeated: ''Let them go to private schools."

Hey Kerry- aren't we talking about undocumented immigrants. Oh yah, I forgot- Beverly's a blighted area too.

Clarity and Conviction?

2004-08-05T16:01:00.000-04:00

Bush Mispeaks Again (from CNN.com)

They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."
-President Bush

Scott McClellan's answer. "The American people know this president speaks with clarity and conviction."

Call me crazy - but isn't this what Michael Moore has been saying along?

Back to the Future

2004-08-05T14:05:00.000-04:00

Haven't seen much in the paper today that really caught my eye. But I am glad to see that Break Dancing is on its way back. I should have expected it though, between the puma and atari comebacks, it was bound to return.

On something we agree

2004-08-05T14:01:00.000-04:00

Got to say that 99% of the time I don't agree with anything Peggy Noonan has to say. But today I think she got it right (even if she is on the other side of the aisle).

"I also decided that when you are living through crucial history and you believe one political party is on balance right, and trying to fight a valiant fight, you should join in if you can."

More good quotes

2004-08-04T11:55:00.000-04:00

I would like to see the "liberal" media pick up on a few of these.

It would be interesting to see the Dems get a spine. Dennis Miller can make fag jokes about Kerry and Edwards- while HRC pulls Marget Cho from the DNC Unity Event last week and Whoopie gets fired by Slimfast.

When will the national media pick this stuff up?

Who said that?

2004-08-04T10:06:00.000-04:00

From NY Times today.

"The danger here is that once a president loses credibility with the Congress, as this president has through months of lies and deceit and manipulations and deceptions, stonewalling, it raises into doubt everything he does and everything he says, and maybe everything he doesn't do and doesn't say. I just hope and pray the decision that was made was made on the basis of sound judgment, and made for the right reasons, and not made because it was necessary to save the president's job."

Not a Democrat speaking of Bush's motives for raising the terror alert on Monday. The quote is from Repulican Senator Daniel Coats in 1998. Coats was referring to President Clinton's motives for bombing al Qaeda outposts a few days following his confession on the Lewinsky affair.

Links of the Day

2004-08-03T14:47:00.000-04:00

Haven't seen this story in the US Press today
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3529976.stm

In answer to the question
"Is it legal to kill a beaver in Massachusetts?"
http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/Stories/0,1413,106~4994~2309670,00.html

and as it is Tuesday.... Paul Krugman's column from the Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/03/opinion/03krug.html